Combined machine for the crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succesion of band-grouped textiles, and a corresponding crimping method

ABSTRACT

A combined machine for the crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succession of band-grouped textiles, and a corresponding crimping method  
     The invention relates to machines submitting the material to be processed to successive mechanical (crimping) and fluid-flow (heat setting/conditioning) processing operations.  
     The known machines are operated at highest mechanical limits, require high energy consumption, and cause damage to the material to be processed. The machine of the invention successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process and without altering the packed arrangement carries out the crimping, heat setting and conditioning and comprises two feed rolls, a stuffer box carrying out the mechanical processing, a fluid-flow processing enclosure, and a pickup driving member concluding the conditioning.  
     According to the crimping method of the invention the actuating member carrying out the checking function producing the stuffing/packing of the material simultaneously carries out the discharging function.

[0001] The present invention has as its object a combined machine for the crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succession of band-grouped textiles, and a corresponding crimping method.

[0002] Said band-grouped textiles correspond to the so-called tows of continuous filaments, slivers and other formats having a similar morphology.

[0003] There are machines for the continuous heat setting of band-grouped textiles using saturated live steam as a heat energy source. The Applicants are the owners of the Spanish patents of invention no. 526717 of 1983 and no. P8803121 of 1988 relating to respective machines for the continuous steaming of materials of the aforementioned type, said machines being preferentially destined to the heat setting and essentially comprising an elongated, preferentially circumferential, tubular enclosure whose cross-section is defined by two members wherein one of these latter is sealingly displaceable with respect to the other one, said members being provided along the enclosure with inlets and outlets for the fluids being used for processing the materials being moved along the enclosure by driving means being fitted to the displaceable member, a feeding device to feed the materials coming from upstream processes, said feeding device feeding said materials to be processed into the enclosure, and a pickup device being provided for withdrawing the materials having already been processed in the enclosure in order to thus feed them to the downstream process, said tubular enclosure having an open portion between the feeding device being provided to feed the materials into said enclosure and the pickup device being provided to feed said materials to the downstream process.

[0004] Crimpers as well as heat setting machines are also commercially available for processing band-grouped textiles, these latter machines operating in a different way as compared with those of the aforementioned Spanish patents. In any case these are always machines being provided to separately carry out these crimping and heat setting processes.

[0005] The known crimpers occupy a very prominent place mainly in the synthetic fiber manufacturing process where they are used to provide the textiles with more or less frequent and ample crimps being formed by virtue of a more or less pronounced material stuffing/packing effect being caused when said material is confined within a tubular enclosure of preferentially rectangular cross-section being provided at its inlet opening with a set of two feed rolls serving to feed said material into said enclosure, and at its outlet with at least one hinged wall checking the unrestrained egress of the material through the action of an antagonistic force (piston, spring, . . . ).

[0006] Prior art crimpers comprise two feed/crimper rolls being provided to feed the band material to be processed. Of the two precited rolls the upper one is generally the one pressing by means of a piston against the other one being arranged below. The subsequent stuffer box is formed by four walls of which two are horizontal and two are vertical, said walls being arranged in a mutually sealing arrangement. Said stuffer box comprises two antinipping guides being arranged directly at the transition between the rolls and the stuffer box. The checking effect opposing the advance of the material and producing the stuffing/packing causing the crimping is exerted by one of the horizontal walls preferably being the upper wall, this latter being hinged at a position being close to the corresponding antinipping guide and being pressed by a piston. The material having been crimped in the above-mentioned stuffer box normally slides down a sloping open channel towards a lower conveyor apron carrying and temporarily storing said material as a previous step before the next process.

[0007] Said artificial crimp being bestowed to resemble that shown by the natural fibers is created in order to endow the synthetic fibers with among other properties the cohesiveness being necessary for obtaining textiles such as yarns, carpets, non-woven fabrics and fabrics in general. The crimp being bestowed upon the materials typifies one of the basic characteristics in the present market associating the crimp with the bulk, the resiliency and the air retention shown by the textiles being obtained from the materials.

[0008] Like in any industrial process evolving in response to the required optimization of the production costs and in order to be in a position to meet the consumers' demands, in the field of the manufacture of synthetic fibers for the textile market there is also a tendency to enhance the performance of the production lines. This results in the design of production lines being apt to process band material (tows) of higher linear weight and being fed at higher and higher speeds.

[0009] With said increase of the linear weight and the speed of the bands (tows) having to be submitted to the crimping process, the known crimpers have serious drawbacks since they reach the highest mechanical limits being imposed on the members integrating them and especially on the feed/crimper rolls, in such a way that any attempted improvement from the technical standpoint of the known crimpers represents an alteration of the parameters governing the obtainment of the material crimp characteristics, said parameters depending on the geometry of the members integrating said machines, i.e. on factors such as the diameter of the feed/crimper rolls, the distance between the antinipping guides at the stuffer box, and the interaction angle between the rolls and said guides.

[0010] The crimping of these band materials of a higher linear weight and at a higher processing speed does furthermore entail an increase of the mechanical force being required for said process, this requiring a higher power consumption partially resulting in a heating of the feed/crimper rolls above the temperature values being acceptable at their points of contact with the materials, said heating thus requiring to internally and continually cool said rolls in order to prevent said heating from altering the physical characteristics of the textiles being crimped.

[0011] Due to their morphology the known crimpers are also not very efficient since they have to do the crimping by exerting an excessively intense mechanical action on the material because the time during which this latter is submitted to the crimping action is very short, and for this reason this excessively intense mechanical action degrades the physical characteristics of the material to be processed.

[0012] The known crimpers do not either have means being apt to supply to the just crimped material and still while this latter is inside the stuffer box the heat energy being enough to heat set the crimps, i.e. to make the crimps permanent. By reason of the temperature being attainable in the inside of the stuffer box preferably by means of injecting saturated steam into it and also by reason of the holding time in said inside the morphology of the known crimpers does not allow to achieve the necessary conditions for said heat setting to take place. The typical morphology of the known crimpers results from a balance between the compression and thrust exerted by the feed/crimper rolls upon the material and the stuffer box characteristics, and hence it is not possible to alter the length of the stuffer box as would be indispensable in order to be in a position to increase the holding time during which the material is held in its inside and to possibly and efficiently carry out some type of heat processing preferably with saturated steam since said stuffer box is not tight enough to be apt to be fed with saturated steam being at the superatmospheric pressures being necessary for the heat setting.

[0013] The known heat setting devices are designed to be fed with the material having been previously crimped with a crimper of the already known type, their material feeding organs hence not being intended or mechanically apt to produce the crimp. The sole function of said machines is to submit the already crimped materials to a heat treatment being enough to achieve the heat setting.

[0014] The known conditioning means (those being provided to restore the temperature and humidity conditions of the material/ambient air system) being installed at the exit end of the known heat setting devices do not either process the material as it keeps on moving in its stuffed condition and with the necessary cooling efficiency as would be required to obtain a conditioning being apt to exert a positive influence on the conservation of the characteristics of the crimp having been bestowed on the materials.

[0015] In order to obviate the aforementioned limitations and drawbacks of the known crimpers and heat setting machines and to optimize the material crimping process in its entirety it is necessary to couple the crimping itself to the downstream heat setting and conditioning processes.

[0016] The machine being the object of the present invention allows to successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process carry out the three aforementioned operations without altering the material's packed arrangement having been created in the stuffer box.

[0017] The present invention represents a step forward in the technological field of the intrinsic crimping process by using the packed textile driving means to carry out two functions, i.e. that of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box, and at the same time the positive withdrawal of said packed material from the stuffer box, said packed material being directly thereupon fed into the heat setting enclosure. According to the invention the stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp being bestowed upon the material is a function of the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) (feed roll speed) and the transport speed (Vt) (speed of the packed material driving means).

[0018] Said arrangement of the invention is apt to crimp the material with a substantial energy saving, and allows to obtain reproducible results, i.e. to obtain an identical degree of crimp with a lesser dependence on the presence of chemicals having been applied to the textile in order to alter its friction with the walls of the stuffer box.

[0019] According to what has been set forth above one object of the present invention consists in the combined machine for carrying out the crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succession of band-grouped textiles being characterized in that it comprises as its main components a set of two feed rolls receiving the material to be processed, a stuffer box where the mechanical processing is carried out, said stuffer box receiving the material from the feed rolls, a tight fluid-flow processing enclosure receiving the material from the stuffer box and being formed by the space being defined by an outer, stationary, enveloping stator forming a portion of the periphery of said fluid-flow processing enclosure in combination with an inner rotary rotor forming the wall innerly closing said enclosure and carrying out the positive transportation of the material in its inside, and a pickup driving member receiving the material from the upstream processing enclosure and concluding the fluid-flow processing of the material, said enclosure being open between the stuffer box and the pickup driving member concluding the processing, said processing consisting in submitting the band-grouped textiles to a successively and uninterruptedly coupled crimping, heat setting and conditioning process thereby conserving the packed arrangement having been produced in the stuffer box where the crimping is carried out.

[0020] According to the invention the two feed rolls of which one is pressed against the other one by means of a piston are driven by a variable speed motor at a processing speed being related to the speed of the upstream machines from which the band material is received, said two rolls feeding the material to be processed into the stuffer box having a quadrangular cross-section and being closed by fixed lateral walls, the material being stuffed inside said box in terms of the ratio between said feed roll speed and the speed of the inner rotary rotor carrying out the positive transportation of the material in the fluid-flow processing enclosure, said rotor being driven by a variable speed motor in such a way that said ratio between the roll and rotor speeds allows to comfortably adjust the material stuffing degree inside the stuffer box.

[0021] According to the invention the rotor transporting the material inside the fluid-flow processing enclosure being installed immediately after the stuffer box carrying out the mechanical processing, said rotor carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box, at the same time carries out the function of continuously and successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from the inside of the stuffer box thereby conserving the material's packed arrangement, all this resulting in that the material stuffing/packing degree and therefore the degree of crimp is a function of the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the rolls and the transport speed (Vt) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the transportation rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure.

[0022] Said rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process and conserving the packed arrangement carries out the discharge and the positive transportation of the crimped material having been packed in the stuffer box into the tight fluid-flow processing enclosure and along this latter, the crimped and packed material being submitted in said processing enclosure to a series of processing operations being mainly carried out with saturated steam, hot air and vacuum and whose operating parameters/conditions vary in terms of the type of textiles to be processed, i.e. to be heat set and conditioned under thermodynamical conditions being higher and/or lower than the atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions; the crimped and packed material being withdrawn at the exit of the fluid-flow processing enclosure by means of an external pickup driving member provided with means to conclude the conditioning of the crimped and packed material, after which and upon the completion of the whole crimping, heat setting and conditioning process the material is received on an apron to be thus transferred to the downstream processes.

[0023] According to the present invention the fluid-flow processing enclosure comprises a first preheating area being provided to preheat the crimped and packed material by means of indirect steam, a suction area exerting its suction action by means of vacuum and/or suction means possibly and as the case might be preceding said first preheating area, a second direct steaming area being provided to directly apply live steam to the crimped material to thus carry out the main heat setting process, a third air processing/hot air drying area, and a fourth area being provided for the conditioning of the crimped and packed band material and applying a cold air flow and/or a suction with a vacuum pump and/or a suction means, said fourth conditioning area comprising two subareas namely being a first internal subarea being located in the last portion of the fluid-flow processing enclosure and being operated by means of cold air flow and/or suction by means of vacuum and/or suction means, and a second external subarea corresponding to the area where the crimped and packed material conserving the packed arrangement having been created in the stuffer box exits the fluid-flow processing enclosure and is carried in an uninterruptedly coupled process and in the packed arrangement by means of a perforated pickup driving drum on which the conditioning is effected by means of a forced flow of ambient air being drawn in through the crimped and packed material by a suction being produced from the inside of said drum whose rotation produces a peripheral speed preferably being slightly higher than that of the rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, the lower crimped material packing degree hence providing a higher permeability for the passage of the conditioning air thus concluding the uninterruptedly coupled material crimping process in its entirety, said processed material being thereupon collected by a lower apron transferring it to the downstream processes.

[0024] According to the invention the fluid-flow processing enclosure rotor carrying out the positive transportation of the crimped and packed material being processed is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of transversal, radial protuberances that carry out said positive transportation. Said transversal, radial protuberances practically occupy the rotor width and a maximum height of 40% of the height of the fluid-flow processing enclosure.

[0025] According to the invention the fluid-flow processing enclosure comprises four lateral walls three of which are formed by the stator whereas the fourth one is formed by the very rotor, the sealing between the walls of the enveloping stator and the inner rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure being obtained by means of gaskets made of elastomeric material preferably being polytetrafluoroethylene, said gaskets being retained between the corresponding opposite surfaces.

[0026] Another object of the present invention consists in a band-grouped textile crimping method to be carried out by means of the machine of the invention, said method being essentially characterized in that it provides that the actuating member carrying out he function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from said stuffer box thereby conserving the packed arrangement.

[0027] According to the invention said method employs as the actuating member simultaneously and contemporarily carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force and the function of discharging the packed/stuffed material the rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, and controls the material stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the rolls and the transport speed (Vt) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the transportation rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, because the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio.

[0028] The invention has as well as its object a band-grouped textile crimping method of the type carrying out the stuffing/packing of the material in a crimping chamber by means of an actuating member carrying out the function of exerting an antagonistic force, said method being apt to be applied in any machine and being characterized in that it provides that said actuating member carrying out he function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from said stuffer box thereby conserving the packed arrangement. Said method comprises as well controlling the material stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the feed rate at which the material to be processed is fed into said crimping chamber and the discharge speed of the actuating member due to the fact that the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio.

[0029] These and other characteristics will be best made apparent by the following detailed description whose understanding will be made easier by the accompanying two sheets of drawings showing practical embodiments cited only by way of example not limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0030] In said drawings:

[0031]FIG. 1 is a diagrammed elevation showing a prior art crimper.

[0032]FIG. 2 is a diagrammed elevation showing a combined machine being the object of the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 2A is a fragmentary and enlarged detail of the feed rolls and a portion of the crimping box.

[0034]FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D correspond to respective sectional views of the processing enclosure corresponding to the processing areas being necessary for the downstream heat setting and conditioning processes.

[0035]FIG. 4 is a diagrammed view of the machine of the invention in a particular version to be used downstream of a stretch-breaking machine.

[0036] According to the drawings FIG. 1 shows a crimper of known type corresponding to the prior art and illustrates the two feed/crimper rolls R1 and R2 being provided to feed/crimp the band material B. The upper roll R1 generally exerts a pressure against the lower roll R2 by means of a piston P1. The subsequent stuffer box RR is formed by four walls, the two horizontal ones being the ones that can be seen in the elevational view, and the vertical ones being sealingly arranged in front of and behind what is visible in the figure. The antinipping guides G1 and G2 are arranged directly at the transition between the rolls and the stuffer box. The checking effect opposing the advance of the material and producing the stuffing/packing causing the crimping is exerted by one of the horizontal walls in this case corresponding to the upper wall, this latter being hinged at a position being close to the corresponding antinipping guide and being pressed by a piston P2. The material BR having been crimped in the stuffer box RR when exiting this latter slides down a sloping open channel CA towards a conveyor apron TE carrying and temporarily storing said material as a previous step before the next process.

[0037] The combined machine being provided for carrying out in an uninterruptedly coupled process the crimping, heat setting and conditioning of band-grouped textiles and being the object of the present invention and being schematically shown in an elevational view in FIG. 2 comprises crimping means MR being provided to crimp the band material B, a processing enclosure RT carrying out the heat setting and conditioning of the crimp having been bestowed upon the material, and receiving and end conditioning means MRA being provided to receive the crimped and heat set material and to carry out the final conditioning of said crimped and heat set material as it exits the processing enclosure and before it is transferred to the downstream processes.

[0038] The crimping means MR being provided to crimp the band material B consist in an assembly comprising two feed/crimper rolls namely being the generally upperly positioned roll R1 being urged by a pressure piston P1 towards the other roll R2 being situated below, said rolls between them advancing said band material B, being driving rolls and being synchronized. As shown at a larger scale in the detail of FIG. 2A the stuffer/crimping box RR is arranged immediately after the feed/crimper rolls R1 and R2 and is formed by two guides 1 acting by way of means being provided to prevent the band B from being nipped at the spot where it is released from the rolls. The stuffer/crimping box RR defines a tubular duct 2 guiding the crimped and packed band BR towards the rotor RO of the processing enclosure thereby allowing said rotor RO to withdraw the crimped and packed band BR from said tubular duct 2 thereby carrying out a positive transportation of said band from said tubular duct 2 and along said processing enclosure RT.

[0039] After the feeding means MR having been described above the machine of the invention comprises the processing enclosure RT being formed by the aforementioned rotor RO and the stator ES acting by way of a stationary member externally enveloping the rotor. In the following detailed description of the processing enclosure RT reference is simultaneously made to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D, said processing enclosure comprising a first preheating area PC being provided to preheat the crimped and packed band BR, said preheating being carried out by means of indirect steam VI, a suction area (not shown) exerting its suction action by means of vacuum and/or another suction means possibly and as the case might be preceding said first preheating area, a second direct steaming area VD being provided to directly apply live steam to the crimped material to thus carry out the main heat setting process, a third air processing/hot air drying area SE, and a fourth area being provided for the conditioning of the crimped and packed band material and being apt to apply both a cold air flow and a suction with a vacuum pump or any other suction means, said fourth conditioning area comprising two subareas namely being a first internal conditioning subarea AI being located in the last portion of the processing enclosure RT and being operated by means of cold air flow or suction by means of vacuum or another suction means, and a second external conditioning subarea AE corresponding to the area where the crimped and packed material exits the processing enclosure RT and is carried in an uninterruptedly coupled process and in the packed arrangement by means of a perforated pickup driving drum TR on which the conditioning is effected by means of a forced flow of ambient air AIR being drawn in through the crimped and packed material by a suction being produced from the inside of said drum whose rotation produces a peripheral speed preferably being slightly higher than that of the rotor RO of the processing enclosure RT, the lower crimped material packing degree hence providing a higher permeability for the passage of the conditioning air, as illustrated in FIG. 2, said conditioning process thus concluding in its entirety the uninterruptedly coupled crimping process being the object of the machine of the present invention and producing the crimped band material BR. The band material BR is thereupon collected by a lower apron TE to be thus transferred by it and through an upper roll RD to the downstream process or operation as shown by arrow MP.

[0040] According to the present invention the ratio between the peripheral speed (feed rate: Va) of the rolls R1 and R2 and the peripheral speed of the rotor RO of the processing enclosure RT (transport speed: Vt) is the basic variable of the crimping process since by means of adjusting different values for this ratio it becomes possible to vary between a highest and a lowest degree the degree of crimp being bestowed upon the band inside the stuffer box RR since the band packing degree inside said stuffer box is what determines the crimping effect and is basically dependent on said speed ratio and also on the geometry of the rolls and the stuffer box as well as on the frictional conditions between the fiber and the metal on all of the members integrating the crimping means.

[0041] As shown in the figures and especially in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D the rotor RO of the processing enclosure RT continuously effecting the positive transportation of the packed/crimped band BR being processed is provided on its cylindrical outer surface SUP with a plurality of transversal, radial protuberances (blades) PA effecting said positive transportation. As can be seen in said figures the blades PA practically occupy the width of the processing enclosure and a maximum height of 40% of the height of the processing enclosure RT. In said precited figures the arrows indicate the flowing directions of the several processing fluids.

[0042] The sealing between the lateral walls of the enveloping stator ES and the inner rotor RO of the processing enclosure RT is on its part accomplished by means of gaskets JU of elastomeric material preferably being polytetrafluoroethylene, said gaskets being retained between the corresponding opposite walls.

[0043] As can be observed, the successively arranged main components of the machine for the continuous crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succession of band textiles comprise a set of two feed rolls R1 and R2 with pressure piston receiving the band to be processed from the upstream machines; a stuffer/crimping box RR having a quadrangular cross-section and being closed by four fixed lateral walls and receiving the band to be processed from the feed rolls; a tight processing enclosure RT being installed immediately after the stuffer/crimping box RR and in which the already crimped band BR is processed, said processing enclosure being formed by the space being defined by an external, stationary, enveloping stator ES forming most of the periphery of said enclosure in combination with an inner rotary rotor RO being provided with transversal, radial protuberances (blades) PA and forming the wall closing the periphery of said processing enclosure, said rotor as well effecting the positive transportation of the band to be processed in the processing enclosure; and a pickup driving member TR being provided to withdraw the crimped band BR and to at the same time conclude the processing of said crimped band, said processing enclosure RT being open AB between the stuffer/crimping box RR and the pickup driving member TR.

[0044] The machine being the object of the present invention and being illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 allows to successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process submit the band-grouped textiles to a crimping, heat setting and conditioning process without altering the packed arrangement being created in the stuffer box where the crimping of the material to be processed is carried out.

[0045] The feed rolls R1, R2 are driven by a variable speed motor at a processing speed being related to the speed of the upstream machines from which the band material is received. According to the invention the ratio between the speeds of the two rolls R1, R2 on the one hand and of the rotor RO on the other hand allows to controllably adjust the stuffing degree being bestowed upon the material BR to be processed in order to thus produce the desired degree of crimp inside the stuffer/crimping box RR. Said rotary rotor RO successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process and without altering the packed arrangement of the band BR carries out the positive transportation of the material from the stuffer/crimping box RR carrying out the mechanical processing of the band BR into the fluid-flow processing enclosure RT being provided to process said band.

[0046] The arrangement of the combined machine of the invention allows the rotor RO carrying out the positive transportation of the band BR to simultaneously carry out a double mechanical action thus on the one hand exerting an antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the band B inside the stuffer/crimping box RR and at the same time carrying out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material without altering its packed arrangement from the stuffer/crimping box RR and along the processing enclosure RT till the crimped band BR is picked up by the perforated drum TR concluding the corresponding conditioning process.

[0047]FIG. 4 very schematically illustrates a machine as per the invention corresponding to a particular application and allowing to carry out the processing of a band arriving from a stretch-breaking machine MRT, said machine as per the invention comprising the processing enclosure RT being defined by the inner rotary rotor RO and the stationary external stator ES, and the perforated pickup drum TR. The processing enclosure successively comprises: a first suction area SUC, a steaming area VAP, a second suction area SUC, and immediately after this latter an internal conditioning area AI and an external conditioning area AE corresponding to that of the apertured pickup drum TR being followed by a sloping apron TE collecting and transferring the band material to a storage means AL.

[0048] A final object of the present invention is a band-grouped textile crimping method to be carried out in the described and illustrated machine, said method consisting in providing that the actuating member corresponding to the rotor RO of the fluid-flow processing enclosure RT and carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material BR inside the stuffer/crimping box RR contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material BR from said stuffer box thereby conserving the packed arrangement. Said method allows as well to control the stuffing/packing degree being bestowed upon the material BR and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the rolls R1, R2 and the transport speed (Vt) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the transportation rotor RO of the fluid-flow processing enclosure RT, because the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio.

[0049] The invention has as well as its object a band-grouped textile crimping method of the type carrying out the stuffing/packing of the material in a crimping chamber by means of an actuating member carrying out the function of exerting an antagonistic force, said method being apt to be applied in any machine and being characterized in that it provides that said actuating member carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material BR inside the stuffer/crimping chamber/box contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from said crimping chamber thereby conserving the packed arrangement. Said method comprises as well controlling the material stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the feed rate at which the material to be processed is fed into said crimping chamber and the discharge speed of the actuating member due to the fact that the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio. 

1. A combined machine being provided for the crimping, heat setting and conditioning in succession of band-grouped textiles and being of the type comprising an elongated tubular duct forming a chamber being formed by enclosures where the mechanical (crimping) and fluid-flow (heat setting and conditioning) processing operations are carried out in an uninterruptedly coupled process, the material being fed into said chamber as it arrives from the upstream processes and being later on picked up at the exit of said chamber; said machine being characterized in that it comprises as its main components a set of two feed rolls receiving the material to be processed, a stuffer box where the mechanical processing is carried out, said stuffer box receiving the material from the feed rolls, a tight fluid-flow processing enclosure receiving the material from the stuffer box and being formed by the space being defined by an outer, stationary, enveloping stator forming a portion of the periphery of said fluid-flow processing enclosure in combination with an inner rotary rotor forming the wall innerly closing said enclosure and carrying out the positive transportation of the material in its inside, and a pickup driving member receiving the material from the upstream processing enclosure and concluding the fluid-flow processing of the material, said enclosure being open between the stuffer box and the pickup driving member concluding the processing, said processing consisting in submitting the band-grouped textiles to a successively and uninterruptedly coupled crimping, heat setting and conditioning process thereby conserving the packed arrangement having been produced in the stuffer box where the crimping is carried out.
 2. A machine as per claim 1, characterized in that the two feed rolls of which one is pressed against the other one by means of a piston are driven by a variable speed motor at a processing speed being related to the speed of the upstream machines from which the band material is received, said two rolls feeding the material to be processed into the stuffer box having a quadrangular cross-section and being closed by fixed lateral walls, the material being stuffed inside said box in terms of the ratio between said feed roll speed and the speed of the inner rotary rotor carrying out the positive transportation of the material in the fluid-flow processing enclosure, said rotor being driven by a variable speed motor in such a way that said ratio between the roll and rotor speeds allows to comfortably adjust the material stuffing degree inside the stuffer box.
 3. A machine as per claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the rotor transporting the material inside the fluid-flow processing enclosure being installed immediately after the stuffer box carrying out the mechanical processing, said rotor carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box, at the same time carries out the function of continuously and successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from the inside of the stuffer box thereby conserving the material's packed arrangement, all this resulting in that the material stuffing/packing degree and therefore the degree of crimp is a function of the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the rolls and the transport speed (Vt) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the transportation rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure.
 4. A machine as per claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process and conserving the packed arrangement carries out the discharge and the positive transportation of the crimped material having been packed in the stuffer box into the tight fluid-flow processing enclosure and along this latter, the crimped and packed material being submitted in said processing enclosure to a series of processing operations being mainly carried out with saturated steam, hot air and vacuum and whose operating parameters/conditions vary in terms of the type of textiles to be processed, to be heat set and conditioned under thermodynamical conditions being higher and/or lower than the atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions; and in that the crimped and packed material is withdrawn at the exit of the fluid-flow processing enclosure by means of an external pickup driving member provided with means to conclude the conditioning of the crimped and packed material, after which and upon the completion of the whole crimping, heat setting and conditioning process the material is received on an apron to be thus transferred to the downstream processes.
 5. A machine as per claim 4, characterized in that the fluid-flow processing enclosure comprises a first preheating area being provided to preheat the crimped and packed material by means of indirect steam, a suction area exerting its suction action by means of vacuum and/or suction means possibly and as the case might be preceding said first preheating area, a second direct steaming area being provided to directly apply live steam to the crimped material to thus carry out the main heat setting process, a third air processing/hot air drying area, and a fourth area being provided for the conditioning of the crimped and packed band material and applying a cold air flow and/or a suction with a vacuum pump and/or a suction means, said fourth conditioning area comprising two subareas namely being a first internal subarea being located in the last portion of the fluid-flow processing enclosure and being operated by means of cold air flow and/or suction by means of vacuum and/or suction means, and a second external subarea corresponding to the area where the crimped and packed material conserving the packed arrangement having been created in the stuffer box exits the fluid-flow processing enclosure and is carried in an uninterruptedly coupled process and in the packed arrangement by means of an perforated pickup driving drum on which the conditioning is effected by means of a forced flow of ambient air being drawn in through the crimped and packed material by a suction being produced from the inside of said drum whose rotation produces a peripheral speed preferably being slightly higher than that of the rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, the lower crimped material packing degree hence providing a higher permeability for the passage of the conditioning air thus concluding the uninterruptedly coupled material crimping process in its entirety, said processed material being thereupon collected by a lower apron transferring it to the downstream processes.
 6. A machine as per claims 1 through 5, characterized in that the fluid-flow processing enclosure rotor carrying out the positive transportation of the crimped and packed material being processed is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of transversal, radial protuberances that carry out said positive transportation.
 7. A machine as per claim 6, characterized in that said transversal, radial protuberances practically occupy the rotor width and a maximum height of 40% of the height of the fluid-flow processing enclosure.
 8. A machine as per claim 1, characterized in that the fluid-flow processing enclosure comprises four lateral walls three of which are formed by the stator whereas the fourth one is formed by the very rotor, the sealing between the walls of the enveloping stator and the inner rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure being obtained by means of gaskets made of elastomeric material preferably being polytetrafluoroethylene, said gaskets being retained between the corresponding opposite surfaces.
 9. A band-grouped textile crimping method to be carried out by means of the machine of the preceding claims, and especially of claims 1 through 4, said method being essentially characterized in that it provides that the actuating member carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from said stuffer box thereby conserving the packed arrangement.
 10. A crimping method as per claim 9, characterized in that it employs as the actuating member simultaneously and contemporarily carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force and the function of discharging the packed/stuffed material the rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, and in that it controls the material stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the material feed rate (Va) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the rolls and the transport speed (Vt) corresponding to the peripheral speed of the transportation rotor of the fluid-flow processing enclosure, because the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio.
 11. A band-grouped textile crimping method of the type carrying out the stuffing/packing of the material in a crimping chamber by means of an actuating member carrying out the function of exerting an antagonistic force, said method being characterized in that it provides that said actuating member carrying out the function of exerting the antagonistic force producing the stuffing/packing of the material inside the stuffer box contemporarily and simultaneously carries out the function of continuously, successively and in an uninterruptedly coupled process discharging said stuffed/packed material from said stuffer box thereby conserving the packed arrangement.
 12. A crimping method as per claim 11, characterized by controlling the material stuffing/packing degree and hence the degree of crimp by adjusting the ratio between the feed rate at which the material to be processed is fed into said crimping chamber and the discharge speed of the actuating member due to the fact that the degree of crimp is a function of said speed ratio. 